Carpenter&#39;s folding square.



No. 765,208. PATENTED JULY 19, 1904,

' W. STBERS, Sn.

- OARPENTERS FOLDING SQUARE.

urmonmirnnnn DBO. 7, 1903.

Patented July 19, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM STEERS, SR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARPENTERS FOLDING SQUARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,208, dated July 19, 1904.

Application filed December 7, 1903. Serial No. 184,147. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S'rnnns, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpenters and Joiners Folding Squares, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the same class of folding squares for which I have now pending an application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 165,741, filed July 16, 1903, and allowed September 26, 1903; and the invention consists in certain novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as will be fully disclosed in the subjoined description and explanation.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a square for use by carpenters, joiner-s, masons, and others, which by reason of its peculiar construction the members or blades thereof will be more effectually locked and more firmly held at right angles to each other than by the construction employed in my aforesaid application, yet may be readily folded together, so that the square can be placed in a tool-box without projecting therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description of its construction and operation.

The invention is fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a face view of a square embodying my invention, showing its members locked or secured in their extended positions. Fig. 2 is a face view, partly in section, showing portions of the members or blades arranged at right angles to each other. Fig. 3 is a face view of the square, showing the parts in the act of being folded together. Fig. 4: is a fragmental face view of the square, showing the blades or members folded together. Fig. 5 is a similar view, partly in section, showing the members folded together; and Fig. 6 is a plan or end view of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings. 1

The reference-numerals 10 and 11 represent the longer and shorter members or blades, respectively, both of which may be provided with a scale representing feet, inches, and fractions thereof. These blades may be made of any suitable size, length, and material, but preferably of metal. The member or blade 10 is provided at one of its ends, which I will term its upper end, with two lateral extensions 12, which have their free ends rounded and formed with a recess 13 to receive a projection 1 1 on the free end of a spring 15, which is secured to the upper edge of the member or blade 11, as shown.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, of the drawings, the extensions 12 are located a slight distance apart and parallel with one another, so as to receive the inner end of the shorter member, which is reduced or formed with a tenon 16, having a slot 17 for the reception and operation of a pivot-pin 18, which passes through the extensions 12 and pivotally secures the shorter member 11 to the longer one. I

By reference to Figs. 2, 5, and 6 of the drawings it will be seen that the member 10 has in its upper portion a recess 19, which communicates with the space between the extensions 12, and is for the reception and operation of the inner'end of the shorter member. The extensions 12 are each provided in their upper edges with a recess 20 to receive the projection 14: on the spring 15, when the shorter member is located at right angles to the longer member, as is clearly shown. The outer surface of each of the extensions 12 is also provided at its upper edge with 'a recess 21 for the admission of the thumb-nail when it is desired to disengage the spring 15. As

shown in the different views of the drawings, the shorter member 11 is formed or provided on each of its faces about the middle of the curved shoulders 22 at the inner end of the tenon 16 with a projection or lug 23, which is adapted to fit in the recesses 13 of the extensions 12, thus assisting the spring 15, which engages at its free end the recess 20, in look ing and firmly holding the members or blades at right angles to one another.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen and clearly understood that when the members and 11 are in the position shown in Fig. 1 they will be firmly held by means of the spring 15, which is countersunk in the upper edge of the member 11 and the upper edges of the extensions 12, and by means of the lug or projection 23, which engages the recess 13 in the lateral extensions. When itis desired to fold the members together, the spring 15 is released from the recesses in the extensions when by turning the member 11 on the pivot 18 it is evident that the slot 17 will permit it to slide downward, so that its upper end will be about flush with the upper edges of said extensions. When thus folded together, the spring 15 will engage the recesses 13 in the free ends of the what I claim as new, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is

A folding square comprising two members,

one of said members being provided at one of I its ends with a recess and two parallel and lateral extensions, said extensions having recesses in their free ends and upper edges; the other member having near one of its ends a slot and located between said extensions, lugs on each side of the slotted member to engage the recesses in the free ends of said extensions when the members are secured at right angles to one another, a pin passing through said slot and secured in the extensions, and a spring secured to the edge of the slotted member and having a projection to engage the recesses in the extensions, substantially as described.

WILLIAM STEERS, SR. 

